In its own quietly seductive way, Sun Goddess, Mr. Beatnick's second EP outing on Don't Be Afraid (following 2011's Synthetes), is a head-turner. Apparently, Mr. Beatnick established himself as a hip-hop producer before entering the house and techno fold, but the EP's four tracks make him sound like the furthest thing from a novice. Nothing would make me happier than to have material like this playing all of the time, kind of like an omnipresent soundtrack always ready to brighten one's mood and lift one's spirits.

“Sun Goddess” immediately draws the listener in with its warm Balearic vibe and the mellow funk of its Rhodes-kissed house swing. Mr. Beatnick works a burbling bass pulse, silken strings and synth radiance into six grooving minutes of beachside sparkle and splendour. Having set the EP's tone, the UK producer takes things up a notch for the slightly more aggressive “Beneath the Reef” without losing any of the material's luscious character in the process, and then digs even deeper with the body-moving thrust of “Shifting Sands” and “Savoir Faire.” It's in these tracks that the material's physical potency is felt most of all, especially when the tracks are powered by pulsating bass lines and subtly skipping beat patterns that're lighter-than-air. Throughout the twenty-four-minute EP, the emphasis is more on atmosphere than melody, but no one should complain when the mood is so enticing.